For nearly two months, my subconscious let me know that I didn’t pass the California First-Year Law Student’s Examination (FYLSE, also called the ‘baby bar’). While I waited for my results, I checked my horoscope compulsively, drank more wine than I should have, and assured myself that there was no way I didn’t pass it. I did well on the Concord final. But at night, I dreamed of having to go back—back to the place with the giant trees, back to the library, back to church. In each of these dreams, I saw something associated with Pasadena, California, where I sat for the June 2011 FYLSE. The church was the part of the Pasadena Convention Center, where the test is given, so was the library. I knew I had failed, yet I tried the “keep a positive attitude” routine, and tried to convince myself that I had reached the 560 score that would allow me to continue, triumphantly on through my second year. Some days, it worked. Most days it didn’t.

With any luck you only need drastic improvement in specific areas to make studying easier for the next round.

Two attempts left. I plan to take it again in October. I'm practicing every day. My worst area is contracts. I really struggle with contracts essays. Not so with contract mcqs, though. I do well there. In fact, on the mcq portion, I got 30 correct in contracts. Bombed torts. On the essay portion, I got a passing score on one of the criminal law essays. I'm working on my essay skills and practicing my mcqs.

Angie: Just out of curiosity...what color is the paper in the envelopes of those who passed?

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'Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.' ~Arthur Clarke

Keep trying kiddo! I'm in the same boat, and my memory skills are fading fast, but I will attempt my second try this October. This failed exam is no reflection on the skills and abilities you already excel in, it's just a bump on the road, and at times I think it unfair that Calbar has put this extra burden on us, but we keep moving on!

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lawyerintraining

Keep trying kiddo! I'm in the same boat, and my memory skills are fading fast, but I will attempt my second try this October. This failed exam is no reflection on the skills and abilities you already excel in, it's just a bump on the road, and at times I think it unfair that Calbar has put this extra burden on us, but we keep moving on!

How is it "unfair"? If anything it's more than fair.

Without it, you'd be stuck where every other state is with online JD degrees(nowhere's land)There has to be some type of gatekeeper weeding out process. For regular JD's its the LSAT and traditional training. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't even the online ones that "require" an LSAT, except ANY score?(even in theory a raw 120)

I'm told it's a hard exam and many lawyers who took it for kicks failed it. That being said, if that went down then online JD's would go the way of the CPEC degrees http://www.cpec.ca.gov/CollegeGuide/Accreditation.asp I believe every few years CA makes a "new agency" with a new name and then has to close it down.